Part 31: 5/29/09

5/29/09

I’ve been hearing more nasty rumors about bullying here.



Gossiping Student: What, like bullying him? Poor kid… What’s his name?
Loud Student: I don’t know… All I heard is that it’s really a problem.
I thought our school was peaceful, too, but I guess it’s not so much.
> The first bell has rung.

Ekoda didn’t show up for class, which would have been fine except Edogawa filled in for him and he’s still really weird.



Mr. Ekoda left work early today, so today’s lecture will be a little different.
He looked fine, but he claimed he didn’t feel well…
Make sure you know what you’re eating, everyone, before you take a bite.
Last time, I related some basic magical knowledge…
Today, I’ll add to that with a discussion of meditation.
But first, let’s review the ways that magicians meditate.
To heighten your creative impulse, the source of all magical power…
Carefully observe a real-world object and recreate it in your head to the last detail.
That’s the Western style, but I’d also like to talk about the Eastern style of meditation.
Meditation was actually refined in the East…
Modern magicians adapted the Eastern meditation for their own original style.
Straighten yourself, take a deep breath, and concentrate.
Those are the basics of Eastern meditation.
You don’t need much to meditate.
All that’s required is a quiet environment and some time.
It doesn’t take long, but you should allot at least 15 minutes for it.
Now for the practicalities… First, your posture. Choose a position you’re comfortable in.
Sitting cross-legged is easy for most, or you could try the full lotus position, called kekkafuza.
You can also meditate while sitting on a chair. Any position will work, as long as you’re relaxed.

I almost did start ‘meditating’ but with how seriously he takes this stuff I didn’t want to risk it.



Now that you’ve prepared yourself physically, let’s focus on your mind and soul.
Imagine a symbol… Perhaps a large tree, or the moon.
If you wish, it could even be the god of your own faith.
However, do not empty your mind.
That would actually be foolhardy. You run the risk of losing control of yourself.
…So what have we learned? To practice meditation is to imagine some sort of symbol.
The Christian practice of prayer, for instance, is a heightened form of meditation.
The imagined symbol is there for other reasons besides helping the meditation go smoothly, however.
It can be very dangerous to plumb the depths of your consciousness…
By keeping a clear symbol in mind, you can avoid plunging over the edge.
Go ahead and try meditating if you’d like. That’s all for today.

I was trying to find Yukari after school before she went to her club meeting, but I missed her.

Video- “Bullies”

Watch

Female Voices: Hahahahaha!
Hm?



She freaked out and started crying.
…Like it was the end of the world.
You should’ve seen the look on her face…
It was priceless.
Oh my gawd!
I’ve never laughed so hard in all my life!
Female Voices: Hahahahaha!
They’re making fun of someone…?
Don’t they have anything better to do?



Where’s that voice coming from…?
What voice? I don’t hear anything.
……
What’s wrong, Maki?
Maki!
……
…Huh?
Are you okay!?
Sorry… What were we talking about?
…About time they left.
I can’t stand girls like that…

I went to volleyball, it’s a shame to leave Rio all alone there.



Keep your eyes on the ball! Here we go!
> You feel the bond between you and Rio growing stronger…
> After practice ended, you decided to return to the dorm.

I guess Mitsuru’s Persona actually is good at fighting, she just can’t help us because we need her support from the lobby.



I don’t suffer much damage from electricity.
But, ice is a different story…
…Wait a minute… Isn’t Mitsuru’s Persona strong with ice?
If my Persona is another side of me… and ice is my weakness…
Is it just me or does there seem to be a connection there?

The Lost aren’t the only problem in the world, but there’s not much we can do about the normal issues.



Newscaster: The water was tested and found to be radioactive, but fortunately, it did not leave the plant.

Yukari’s been hearing about the bullying too I guess.



Yeah.
I get so mad when I hear about someone getting bullied.

I also headed down to talk to Mutatsu-san, not much happened though.